


Under My Skin

by Yeoyou



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hal still has the same shitty backstory which will be discussed, M/M, PTSD mentioned, Smut, awkward nerds falling in love, fast burn, much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-13 01:38:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13559943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeoyou/pseuds/Yeoyou
Summary: Hal is a tattoo artist looking for inspiration and finds a muse in florist Dave. Fluff and stuff happens ;D [MGS Winter Games 2018]Update January 2019:now with smutty epilogue!!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have practically no knowledge of plants or tattoos so you have been warned ;D

The first thing he notices is the smell. The air is humid and heavy with the perfume of flowers and plants. Hal rubs his glasses clean off the fog and puts them on again to take a look around. It feels like a different world, the noise from the street muffled, like a shop-sized slice of paradise.

Hal sneezes.

In response, the shop's owner's head appears next to a tall something-or-other that looks almost fake but probably isn't.

"Can I help you?"

The man's voice is surprisingly deep and gravelly. It fits the muscular frame and the frown that has etched itself permanently into his forehead. It just doesn't seem fitting for a florist. Although, looking around, he's maybe more of a plantist.

"Uh ..." Hal stammers. It's not just because the man is so distractingly handsome but also because he's not sure how to explain why he's here. He clutches the book under his arm all the tighter.

"Are you looking for something in particular? Hard-to-kill-houseplant is an all-time favourite..."

"No, I mean ...I ... just wanted to take a look around. If that's all right?"

The man considers him for a moment before relaxing into a smile.

"Sure. Just call if you need any assistance."

He vanishes back into the jungle of his shop, leaving Hal standing unsure amidst the greenery. He breathes out, inhales deeply and tries to ignore the tingling in his nose. After another second, he dares to take some steps further into the shop and look around properly. There is one corner, close to the counter, that has all the kinds of flowers you'd expect in a shop like this: roses and tulips, carnations and peonies, a few more that Hal has seen around but can't name and a lot he hasn't. There's a few artful bouquets arranged in vases, a bit of deco and pots and whatnot. But the greater expanse of the shop is dedicated to all kind of different plants in vivid shades of green. More shades than Hal realised even existed in nature.

He's no expert on Nature. Or plants, or anything that's alive, really.

He wanders closer to inspect all the varying kinds of leaves, the shapes and patterns, curving, rolling, unfolding around him.

He makes sure that nobody is watching him and opens his book, takes out the pencil that he carries everywhere with him and starts to sketch. He soon realises that there is a freeing balance between precision and Improvisation while trying to bind the shapes around him to paper. It's chaos, but he's in control to make it do his bidding. The formerly blank sheet fills rapidly under the tip of his pencil.

"That looks pretty good."

Hal nearly jumps out of his skin at the sudden voice close to his ear. The pencil cuts a hard line across his latest sketch before Hal snaps the book shut and turns around.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"Do you always creep up on people like that?"

The man rubs his his neck, looking sheepish. "It's a bad habit."

Hal suddenly notices that they're standing very close. He takes a step back, clutching the sketch book protectively to his chest.

There's an awkward pause.

"So ... that's why you just wanted to take a look around? Find some Inspiration for ..." The man waves at Hal's sketch book.

"Yeah I'm ... do you mind?"

The man smiles. It seems genuine enough but also as if he doesn't have much experience with smiling. Weird, for a guy in his profession.

"Not at all. I like a bit of company."

"Uh ... okay then."

Another awkward pause stretches among them.

"So ... you an art student then?"

"What? Oh. No. Actually, I'm ... uh ... a tattoo artist. I work next door. In the tattoo parlour? Ink Well?"

"Huh. I always thought it was ' _the_ ink well'..."

"Yeah, everybody thinks that. But it's more like, uhm, 'to ink well' or something. I dunno. I just work there."

The florist's scrutinizing gaze has Hal blushing.

"You don't exactly look the type."

"I know."

Hal hates this part. It's one of the reasons why he doesn't much like to meet new people. It's easier when he's actually at his job, with his colleagues there to corroborate his claims. But out on the streets or at parties - he's usually met with unbelieving stares, eyes darting over the visible skin to see what kinds of tattoos _he_ has. Only he doesn't. A tattoo artist without any tattoos. He's tired of the irony.

"Neither do you. Look like a florist, I mean." It comes out more petulant than intended. Or rather, it comes out although Hal didn't intend to say anything at all.

But the man just chuckles. "Guilty as charged. Sorry. I was just surprised, is all. So you're here to get new inspiration or-?"

Hal shifts his weight. Looks around the shop, empty except for them and the plants.

"Yes. My boss wants me to 'branch out'. Flowers and stuff are apparently 'in' or something. And I thought this might be a good place to study them. It's conveniently close to work anyway."

"'Branch out', huh? What do you usually draw?"

Hal shrugs. "Machines mostly. You know, robots or mechanical limbs, gears, technical plans, the occasional formula."

The man grins lopsided. "So not exactly 'flowers and stuff.'"

Hal winces. "N-no. Not really. Hence the studying."

"David." The man stretches out his hand so suddenly that Hal starts involutarily and looks first at the hand and then at him, puzzled.

"I thought, if you'll come in here more often, it'd be nice to know your name.

"Oh. Uhm. Hal. It's Hal."

"Huh. That's a good one. Nice to meet you, Hal." The man's grip is firm, the grooves of his palm inlaid with dirt.

"So ... you don't mind if I come back?"

"No, not at all."

"Heh. All right. See you tomorrow then?"

"See you, tomorrow, Hal."

There's a stupid smile plastered on Hal's face as he leaves the shop, still hugging the sketch book to himself.

 

***

 

Hal doesn't know why he's in such a good mood when he wakes up the next morning until he remembers that he has an 'appointment' at a certain flower shop.

He flips through the sketch book on his nightstand, trying to find the drawings he did the day before. There's mostly differently shaped leaves. He should probably go and take a look at the flowers this time.

He hadn't exactly been thrilled when his Boss had brought up the idea of him widening his portfolio with flowery designs. It just wasn't him. He'd always been interested in machines, in the intricacies needed to make them work. Cyborgs and robots and the future. He had his clientele that valued him for the detailed and accurate drawings he stitched into their skins. No need to throw roses into the mix, too.

Huh. Or maybe that _is_ something he could work with.

Hal sits up and settles against the headrest of his bed, takes up the pencil and starts to add more sketches. They're rough and he realises that he definitely needs to study some more in the shop - an oddly pleasing thought - but it's enough to see that he might be onto something. Maybe he can bring Nature and Technology into harmony in his designs. Under his skilled fingers, the pages rapidly fill with creatures half cyborg, half plant, wires and roots (or branches? he'll have to think about that) entwined, complex hybrids, mechanical hearts with flowers growing out of them, flowers that are actually built from tiny gears and screws, ...

When Hal comes out of his creative _flow_ , he's already late for work. A hasty shower, a coffee replacing his breakfast and he's out of the door.

 

***

 

When he enters David's flower shop later that day, he can't help smiling as soon he's hit with the flowers' perfume. And when the shop's owner appears to greet him, it takes all his control not to blush. Yep, David is still handsome as hell.

"Kept me waiting, huh?"

Hal makes some unintelligible noise in confusion.

"Thought you'd come by earlier, is all. Here, I've got a chair for you so you don't have to stand around while sketching."

"Oh that's ...uhm...very nice of you! Thank you!"

Hal follows David deeper into the shop to where a cheap folding chair is leaning against the counter.

"Wow. Thanks!"

David smiles. "It's just a plastic chair, Hal."

"Yeah but ... I mean, it's thoughtful so thank you!"

"You're welcome."

There's an awkward pause until Hal grabs the chair and makes a tactical retreat.

"Right. Uhm ... I'll just-" He gestures vaguely with his sketch book in the direction that seems furthest away from David at the moment.

"Oh yeah, sure..." David nods and busies himself with ordering things on the counter.

_That was smooth._

Hal puts up the chair in one corner of the shop, flops down and takes a deep breath before opening his book.

The unexpected thoughtfulness of the chair had thrown him and things hadn't been improved by realising that all the designs sketched that morning were drawn with David's body and face in mind.

_Huh. Guess I found a new muse._

Hal steals a glance back in David's direction and is glad that the man isn't watching him. It makes calming down again and focusing on why he's actually here much easier.

It takes a while but eventually, Hal finds his way back into the morning's flood of creativity. He fleshes out some of the rougher sketches, refines them and incorporates what he sees around him. It's peaceful in the shop. The occasional customers are usually quiet as they peruse the plants and flowers on offer and don't bother him much. He gets a few curious glances but since he ignores them, nobody asks what he's doing there or why. David, too, leaves him be and only interrupts if he needs access to some part of the shop Hal is currently obstructing. And once when he offers him some coffee, which Hal gladly accepts.

Time seems on hold and Hal hardly registers that it's gotten dark outside the windows until David strolls up to him.

"Hey. Uhm. I'm about to close the shop now..."

Hal looks up and around, startled out of his stream of possible tattoo designs.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't realise-" He gets up hastily, gathering his things.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks again for letting me study here. Guess I wasn't much company to you though..."

David shrugs. "It was still nice to have you here. Calming presence. Like Rex."

Hal was about to protest but now frowns. "Rex?"

"My dog."

"Huh?"

David gestures towards the counter and now that Hal is paying attention, he spots the old husky lying behind it, apparently fast asleep.

"Oh. Right."

Usually, he's got a pretty good dog radar. Hal loves dogs! But since he'd avoided the counter as the part of the shop David mostly occupied, he must have straight overlooked the dog. Or maybe that was because David was so distracting.

"He seems a very calm presence, all right."

David chuckles. "Yeah. Not much fazes him. You'd have to drive a tank into the shop, probably, to get some reaction out of him."

"Can I?" Hal points at the dog and David nods.

"Sure. He loves to be petted but don't expect too much from the old guy."

Hal crouches next to Rex and mumbles some friendly words while running his fingers through the dog's fur. Maybe it's just his imagination but he thinks Rex is looking even more relaxed than before.

When he looks up again, he sees David smiling down on him.

Uh oh. The angle, the smile, the dog... Hal feels himself free falling and gets up again when he starts feeling dizzy.

"You want to stay for dinner?"

"-what?"

"I don't have anything fancy to offer but I thought it'd be nice. You know, since we didn't get to talk much while you were here. You could show me your sketches, if you want. Or not. I live just around the corner."

Hal wonders if the panicky feeling in his gut has made it onto his face yet.

"Rex and I would be glad for the company."

"I uh..." Hal racks his brain for any sort of answer. He isn't even sure which he'd prefer. An excuse for not staying. Or an excuse for staying.

"Sorry. That was probably a bit ... never mind."

Hal can practically see David retreating into himself and he feels sorry.

"No! No ...I'm" _honored_. No, that's a stupid word. "I mean, thanks. I just didn't expect it. But ... that would be nice? I think?"

David looks relieved.

"Really? Don't want to pressure you into anything here. As I said, don't have anything fancy anyway. Just some noodles and stuff."

"That sounds good to me."

Hal grins. He still feels nervous but less so now he's made the decision to stay.

David closes shop while Hal waits for him outside with Rex, finally roused from sleep. There's still light on in "Ink Well" and so Hal keeps to the shadows. He doesn't particularly need his co-workers to know that he struck up a _friendship?_ with the florist.

"Okay, that's done then." David reappears. "Ready?"

Hal smiles. And nods.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the fluff continues ;D

Turns out, David really does live "just around the corner" from the "MyFlower" as he said. Hal passes that house every day on his way to work and it feels strange how it suddenly acquires new meaning. He never took much notice of the faded red facade or the black door, not caring who lived behind it. He scans the names on the doorbells, trying to find one that sounds like it belongs to David.

"It's Sears."

"Huh?"

"My last name."

"Oh. He ... guess stealth isn't my strong point."

"Not really." He grins. "Come on in."  
  
David shoves the door open for him and follows with Rex close behind him. It dawns on Hal, that he is actually going with a stranger. Into the stranger's apartment. To have dinner with him. It would be an understatement to say that he usually doesn't do that sort of thing. He glances at David who's fishing out his mail from the letter box, at the old husky by his side, waiting patiently.

_God, I really hope he's not an axe murderer. Or any kind of murderer at all._

"You've been living here long?"

"About half a year or so. It's ... okay."

By the time they reach the third floor, Hal is trying very hard to breathe evenly and not let on how fast his heart is beating or how much his lungs are screaming for air. David on the other hand seems to hardly notice all the stairs judging by the easy way he jogs them up.

The apartment isn't particularly large and when David switches on the light, they're already standing in the living room. There's an old couch with an even older TV in front of it. A surprisingly large collection of cheap 80's movies shares room with a good number of paperback novels on the shelves. Hal guesses they're thrillers, judging from the colour scheme. There's a table with mismatched chairs, a chest of drawers, a rickety coat rack and a pile of shoes next to the door. One door leads off to a small kitchen and two others presumably to David's bedroom and the bathroom.

There are no plants.

"Sorry for the mess, I don't often have guests." David takes off his coat and puts it carefully onto the rack. It looks like Jenga. He holds out his hand for Hal's who shrugs out of his jacket.

"You should see my place."

"I'd like to."

_Oh._

_Is this ... could this actually be ... some sort of date?!_

"Eh. Only with ample warning."

Hal follows David's lead and kicks off his trainers. Rex has already claimed the couch, after a short detour to the water bowl.

"Got it. So ... noodles sounded okay, right?"

Hal nods.

"Let's see what else I've got."

The kitchen is so small that Hal stays in the doorway while David goes about preparing their dinner. An offer of help is waved aside and so he just watches and is it his fault he notices all those muscles shifting in David's back as he moves or how perfect David's ass is if the man keeps insisting on getting so much stuff from lower drawers? Hal swallows.

"So .. uh... you have a surprising lack of flowers and plants here."

David hums. "I spend all my time in the shop anyway, so..." He shrugs and fills a large pot with water.

"Guess you're surrounded by all the green you need there."

David nods and there's a pause while he rummages around in his freezer.

"Got a pack of frozen veggies and ...uh...Hah! Thought there were still a couple steaks in there somewhere. That sound good to you?"

"Sure." Hal guesses that he is hungry. He hasn't really eaten anything since his hurried instant ramen for lunch but if he is, he's too distracted by his host to notice it. "Have you always been a florist?"

"No. I enlisted when I was ...well, young and stupid."

Military. That explains why David seems older than he probably is. Seen too much stuff.

"When I came back from my last tour I hid in Alaska for a while."

"Alaska!"

"Yeah, I'd had enough of people. Cabin in the middle of nowhere, handful of dogs to keep me company and nothing but nature for miles around. I hoped I'd find peace there."

Hal shifts in the doorway.

"And did you?"

"No. Just the bottom of too many bottles. At some point I realised I had the choice of either becoming a professional alcoholic and die out there with nobody to notice or rejoin the human race. I sold the dogs, all save  Rex who was too old to part with, and came here."

"Huh."

Hal doesn't really know what to say to that. David's tone had been all matter-of-fact but what he'd compressed so neatly into just a few words were things Hal can't really imagine.

David turns around and gives Hal a lopsided smile.

"Sure you still wanna have dinner with me?"

"Would Rex get the second steak if I left now?"

"Nah. Wouldn't be good for him, a whole steak."

"Guess then I'd better stay. Would be a shame about the steak, after all."

David chuckles. "True." He does seem more relaxed now. It's not that he was particularly tense before or if, it had just seemed like that was the way he was. He probably had wondered if Hal would want to leave after knowing all that about him.

But Hal doesn't. What he does want to do is to take a step forward and wrap his arms around David, bury his face against that broad back and make him understand that Hal, for one, is glad that he came back from Alaska.

Oh shit, he's in deep.

He crosses his arms, studies the kitchen floor and the fluffs of dust that have gathered in the corners.

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"Have you always wanted to be a tattoo artist?"

"You mean, because I don't look like one?"

David shrugs. "Just in general. But yeah, okay, because of that, too."

"No. I wanted to become an engineer, originally. Design and create new technology and new machines to make the world a better place. Like my father." As always, there's a slight hesitation before he says 'father.' If David picks up on it, he doesn't let on.

"So what changed your mind?"

The realisation that his father had actually been an asshole? The whole thing where he had an affair with his stepmother which led to his father's suicide once he discovered it? Seeing his father at the bottom of the swimming pool with his wheel chair and knowing that he was responsible for it all? That his step-sister had nearly drowned, too?

"Uh ... there was some family drama I ran away from when I was nineteen."

David huffs as if he understands and Hal wonders what kind of family drama drove him into the arms of the military.

"I was ... uh...too awkward for a real rebellious phase but I tried out some stuff and somehow ended up with an apprenticeship in "Ink Well." Guess the boss saw some potential in me or something."

"The boss?"

"Yeah. His real name's John but he likes it when we call him the boss. Or big boss."

Hal shrugs. He's always been the odd one out in the Ink Well crew but there's no denying that his designs do draw in quite a lot of customers. Hal still finds the idea strange that people run around with his drawings on their bodies.

"'Big Boss', huh."

"Yeah. I know. He looks scary, too, big snake tattoo basically covering his whole body and all that, but he's pretty okay, usually. And truth be told, we all have stupid nicknames. Guess it started as a joke at some point, I don't know. One guy goes by 'Revolver Ocelot,' there's the 'Hellmaster' ..." Hal shrugs again.

"So what's yours?"

He did walk right into that, didn't he?

"Otacon," he mumbles. "It stands for Otaku Convention."

It doesn't seem like that cleared anything up for David and so Hal goes into his whole spiel about what an otaku is and manga and anime and how it's really really different to Western animation and usually people seem bored or amused about three minutes in but David appears to be actually interested. It's a way better topic than his fucked up family life, anyway, that's for sure.

They keep the conversation going while David cooks and later, when they've settled at the table to eat. And it's not completely one-sided either. David throws in intelligent question here and there, asks if he doesn't get something and seems, all in all, like he truly wants to understand Hal's fascination with all of it.  
It's refreshing. And makes Hal fall that much harder for the guy across from him.

But there's no indication on David's side that he sees this as anything more than two guys hanging out and sharing a meal. The beginning, perhaps, of a genuine friendship but nothing more. Still, Hal will gladly take it.

"So, you wanna show me those drawings you did today?"

"Oh. Uh. Sure, if you want to see them?"

"Wouldn't have asked otherwise, would I?"

"Probably not."

Hal gets up to fetch his sketch book from the chest of drawers where he left it earlier. He's always nervous about showing his ideas and designs to anyone, even though he does know that he's talented. Has been told so many times over the years. Still. It's a very personal thing, almost intimate. Like letting someone step right into your mind and Hal isn't the most extrovert person.

He sits back down and hands David the book. His host has put the dishes to the side already and flips the book open with eager interest.

"The flowers start somewhere around a quarter in."

But David takes his time, studies everything he looks at like it's a complicated puzzle or anything else you need to study intensely. He doesn't say anything, just hums here and there and it's honestly the most unnerving time Hal has ever spent in the company of another human being. He wants David to like them. Needs him to like them because if he doesn't, it would feel like a rejection of Hal himself.

Usually people show some reaction, when they look at his drawings. Exclamations of praise or weirded out confusion. He's had it all. But this?  
There's a small smile when David finds the first sketches Hal made in his shop and Hal's heart feels a little lighter. Still weighed down by lead, just not as much as before.  
David reaches the sketches Hal made earlier that morning.

"These look amazing."

Hal lets out a breath he knows he's been holding for far too long. "You think so?"

David hums in affirmation and continues to flip through the pages, slowly and methodically.

"Is that ... me?"

"What?"

Hal's voice is embarrassingly high. He'd forgot about that. Somewhere in between copying petal structures and leaf shapes, he'd started a sketch of David. The man had been busy making some elaborate flower arrangement for a customer who'd called and hadn't paid any attention to Hal, who'd seized the chance.

Hal clears his throat. "If you have to ask then no, it's obviously not you but just someone who happens to look a bit like you but isn't and whose image happened to cross my mind while sitting in your shop watching you."

David looks up and grins.

"Thought so."

The grin widens. "You're blushing."

"Thanks for pointing that out. That'll help."

"'s cute."

"Wha-"

David's grin has faded, leaving him with an unsettlingly intense stare. The man hardly seems to blink at all. He's waiting, gauging Hal's reaction and Hal would gladly give one, any one, if his brain hadn't stopped working, leaving him with his mouth hanging open and blushing to the roots of his hair.

David sets the book down.

"Look. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I thought I'd detected some ... _interest_ but if I was wrong, don't sweat it."

Hal swallows.

"What?"

"I ... like you, Hal."

"Uhm."

"...and I kinda hoped, you know." David waves his arm at Hal.

Okay he definitely needs to answer that. _Get your shit together, brain!_

"I do?" Hal ventures. "I mean, like you. Too."

"Good."

David smiles and Hal has no idea where that leaves them but everything's starting to feel pretty surreal right now.

"Just so we're on the same page then, is this a date?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"Uh ... yeah?"

"Okay."

"Okay."

There's an awkward pause while Hal takes a deep breath and David is just watching him.

"Uh ... would it be weird if I go hide in your bathroom for a bit? I don't often have surprise dates. Or any. At all. So, I'm not really good with this. Any of this. And I'm freaking a little out here. I mean, it's good! This. And I want it! But ..."

"Hal, it's okay. I get it. I hid in Alaska for a couple years because I wasn't good with human interactions, remember?" David points to, presumably, his bathroom door. "You take your time and I'll get these cleaned up."

"Uh ... okay. Thanks."

Hal scoots out of his chair and is halfway to the bathroom when David calls after him: "It's ...ah...as messy as the rest of the apartment though."

"I _really_ don't care about that."

He hears David laughing softly as he opens the door and slips inside.

Like the kitchen, the bathroom is small. A bathtub right under the window, toilet and sink squeezed into the remaining space.

Hal closes the door behind him and like a cliché novel protagonist looks at himself in the mirror above the sink. Yep, he's still the same awkward, unimpressive nerd with definitely too much colour in his cheeks. Why the hell would someone like David be interested in him? It doesn't make sense. But there's no denying that it appears to be the truth. It just _really_ doesn't make _any_ sense!

Hal spends a while in the bathroom until he accepts that he simply won't get any calmer, scrapes all of his courage together and opens the door again. It takes a moment before he spots David sitting on the couch, next to Rex, stroking the old dog's fur in calm, even movements. Hal suddenly feels like an intruder and clears his throat awkwardly. But David just smiles at him and invites him to sit down with a gesture.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Uh yeah. Sorry about that." Hal sits down on the armrest of one of the chairs opposite the couch and watches David and the dog. He still feels overwhelmed but also weirdly safe.

"Don't worry about it. I suppose I was a bit ..ah..hurried. I didn't mean to invite you over for dinner straightawy - hence the chaos - but I just couldn't resist when I saw you with Rex."

"Huh." So he wasn't the only one having a _moment_ in that moment. But generally, people don't find him irresistable.

"It's been a while since I've done any of this, too."

"No, it's ... uh...fine. I'm glad you asked. It was a really nice first date."

"'First date,' huh? So you wouldn't be averse to a second one?"

Hal smiles. "I would like that very much."

David smiles back and they sit there like that for a long moment, just looking and smiling at each other, with the dog snoring softly by David's side.

Hal shifts on the armrest.

"I should probably go home now. Got an early client tomorrow morning."

David opens his mouth but seems to reconsider his response before settling on "Okay."

He gets up and walks Hal to the door, retrieves his jacket from the coat rack, hesitates.

"Will you come into the shop tomorrow?"

"Uh. I don't know. I've got a pretty full schedule tomorrow. Couple long sessions but ... maybe I could squeeze in an early or late lunch and stop by?"

"I would like that."

God, that smile's gonna kill Hal one of these days.

David hands Hal his jacket and shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"Not to freak you out but ... can I kiss you? If it's too early for you, that's okay, just ... thought I'd ask."

David grins apologetically and looks so adorable that Hal can just nod, his brain cells too frozen for much else.

David's grin turns into a smile before he leans in and closes his eyes for the kiss. Hal blinks his own shut a frantic second later and tries to quell the panicky feeling inside of him. Turns out, David's lips are far more successful at that than Hal is. The moment their lips brush against each other, one of David's hands cradling Hal's face, the other drawing him gently nearer, everything stills. He's acutely aware of the day's stubble on David's cheeks, the smell of earth and cooking clinging to his skin, the taste of their meal shared between them. There's cotton in his ears and heart and maybe it's not cotton after all but happiness that fills him to the brim.

He wouldn't mind spending an eternity or two like this. When they part, it's Hal who opens his eyes after David.

"You make going away very hard," Hal breathes.

There's laughter in David's eyes and his voice when he answers. "That was kind of the plan."

"Uhu..."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

David chuckles and when the door closes behind Hal, he's still got the sound in his ear and cotton in his limbs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluffiness ahead but also the tagged shitty backstory stuff. You've been warned (on both accounts ;D)

The morning after his date, Hal wakes up with a smile on his lips and the ghost of David's kiss. Not even his alarm clock can wipe that off.

Apparently, he is dating now. A terrifyingly handsome veteran with a dog and a flower shop. Stranger things have probably happened but Hal can't think of any right now.

He hurries through breakfast, explicitly forbids himself to think of David while in the shower, and tries all the way to work to get his features under control. That doesn't get any easier when he notices David in front of the Ink Well counter, being interrogated by Ocelot and Hellmaster though it's not a smile that he has trouble hiding.

"Hey, nerd." There's a teasing undertone in Ocelot's voice that means nothing good.

"Hey." Hal's voice is on the wrong side of enthusiastic. And not even David turning around and smiling at him can cheer him up. Not right this moment, anyway, though he does store the sight away for later.

"You forgot your sketchbook yesterday, thought I'd drop it off in case you need it for your client this morning."

David walks towards him, book in hand.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful." Hal tries to convey both his sincere gratitude to David and not to show too much eagerness or joy at seeing him because he's acutely aware of his coworkers watching them as he takes the book. It's a difficult balance and Hal isn't sure he managed it when David's brow furrows.

"See you later?"

"Yeah, okay."

Hal bites his lip as David walks past him and out of the door. He wants to run after him and shout that he's still head over heels for him and that nothing changed. Instead, he turns towards Adam and Kaz, better known respectively as Ocelot and Hellmaster.

"Pretty hot for a florist, huh?" Kaz' grin has something decidedly sharkish to it. 

"I think the nerd noticed." Adam, on the other hand, usually looks like the proverbial cat that just caught the bird whenever he grins.

"Mhm ... he's blushing."

"Wonder where exactly he forgot that book. Maybe we should have a look, see if he 'branched out' into nudes as well as flowers."

"What are you, twelve?" Hal mutters and tries to walk past them as nonchalantly as possible, gripping the sketchbook firmly to his chest and ready to drown himself in coffee.  
  
***  
  
The morning doesn't get much better until Hal's first client of the day shows up at which point he's got a perfect excuse to simply ignore everyone around him and concentrate on his work.

It's a lot harder though to ignore the pointed looks as he slips out of the tattoo parlour for lunch and walks the couple steps to "MyFlower". David is dealing with a customer so Hal hangs back and waits for an opportunity to apologise for his earlier behaviour. David's nod of acknowledgement when he notices him is neutral but that could be just because of his customer. Hal desperately hopes so.

Since David is a nice guy, he of course offers to help the old lady carrying her purchased plants to her car.

"Could you keep an eye on the shop for a moment, Hal?"

Hal nods a bit too vigorously and holds the door open for David and the woman.

_So at least he still trusts me with that._

Hal goes to pet Rex while waiting for David's return. The old husky is once again snoring behind the counter but flops to his side when Hal starts to rub his fur.

"You still like me, don't you? Good boy."

The bell above the door jingles and Hal gets out of his crouch. Thankfully, it is not another customer but David returning.

"You're quite the gentleman today, aren't you? Carrying purchases, returning lost property..."

David shrugs. "Just another day at the office, right?" 

Hal shuffles his feet and can't quite manage to look David in the eye, instead focusing on an exotic plant somewhere left of David's hip.

"Look, I'm sorry for earlier. That was a really nice thing you did and I..."

"You don't want your colleagues to know we've had a date, huh?"

"Uh ...yeah."

"Is it because" David hesitates, waving his hand between them, "we're both men?"

"What?" Hal looks up briefly. "Oh no. No. Ocelot's gay as hell and the other two are varying degrees of bi, I think. They're in a relationship."

"All three of them?" David's eybrow crawls up.

"Yeah, I think. I try not to pay too much attention. No, it's because they're idiots who like to tease me any chance they get and with this thing with us being all so new and, frankly, a bit confusing, I've wanted to keep you to myself a little longer."

David smiles and comes a few steps closer, so Hal has to look up (unless he wants to stare at David's crotch, which would not be a good idea!). "I'm all yours."

Hope flitters across Hal's face.

"Well, and Rex's but he's not very demanding, so..."

"So we're good?"

"Hm ... not quite but I could think of a way for you to make it up to me."

Uh-oh...David's tone and look are melting brain cells in Hal's head, which doesn't get any better when he closes the remaining distance between them and looks expectantly at Hal.

"What about your customers?" Hal's voice, in contrast, is not sultry, but croaks.

David grins and points his thumb at the sign on his door, where "Open" is clearly legible on the inside.

"Lunch break."

The last word has barely left David's lips when Hal lunges at him, throwing all caution to the wind. He's been dreaming of kissing David again all through his perilous way home the previous evening - it's hard to concentrate on traffic when you've recently been kissed by a hot florist! -, while he fell asleep and basically any other moment between the last kiss and now. David hums appreciatively and draws him nearer while kissing back.

Their first kiss was just an overture but this one is full of promises with an enthusiastic participation not only of lips but tongues and teeth and hands and Hal is glad he's not the only one panting when they come out of it.

"Oh yeah. Now, we're really good."

"Good."

"How long is your lunch break?"

"Uhm-"

"You should probably eat something but" David steals another quick kiss "more of this would be good, too!"

"Food. Lunch. Right."

David chuckles and takes a step back so that Hal finally has space for some non-hormonal thinking. He checks his watch.

"Twelve minutes or so?"

"I can work with that."  
  
***  
  
The following days are nothing but bliss and Hal spends every free minute during the day in David's shop and the evenings at David's place. It is, of course, impossible to keep their relationship a secret from Hal's co-workers but although Hal is annoyed by it and them and their teasing, he doesn't mind too much, being too happy to care really.

He still doesn't understand it though. How any of this came about and why he has a hot florist boyfriend all of a sudden. But again, he doesn't mind. Who would when David smiles at him like that whenever he sees Hal, when his lips taste so good and his hands can be anything from gentle to demanding. The "MyFlower" has indeed turned into a 'a shop-sized slice of paradise' for Hal.

His muse is on fire, too, and whenever Hal isn't actually inking someone or making out with David in the backroom of his shop or watching stuff with him on his couch, he's sketching and churning out designs faster than he can put them on paper. His new ideas start to draw in customers, too. Some of his regulars and a whole new crowd so although Big Boss and the others complain about his constant good mood and drooling over their neighbour, they're never in earnest and just grin when he slips out of the shop again. 

It's new and exciting and weirdly normal, too, this new life. Everything would be perfect if only he could believe that he deserves it. His inability to accept it is one of the reasons why they haven't had sex yet. Given how fast everything else progressed, his co-workers would never believe him if he told them - which he wouldn't dream of. David is being remarkably patient. After Hal stopped him the first time things were going in that general direction, he hasn't brought it up again, giving Hal all the time he needs. And Hal isn't sure that helps. There's the body issues, and there's David being a saint who deserves someone better, and there's Hal's fear of being too happy because he's afraid of the tipping point where everything turns to shit because how can this last?

The longer he is happy, the more he worries until he doesn't manage to relegate those worries to when he's alone and it shines through when he is with David, too.

They're sitting on David's couch, Rex at their feet, halfway through some movie Hal hasn't paid attention to for the last twenty minutes when David suddenly grabs the remote and pauses the film.

"C'mon, what's up, Hal?"

"Huh?"

Hal blinks and straightens up and though his confusion had cleared about two seconds after the abrupt loss of white noise, he tries to hold on to the expression.

"You do remember you're really bad at stealth, don't you?"

Hal hangs his head, watching the sleeping dog and doesn't know how to answer.

David reaches for his hand, playing with his fingers.

"You know you can tell me, right? Whatever it is."

"I think so ... yeah."

There's no way out of his without telling him, is there? Hal gathers what courage he can find to look at David.

"Well we ... still haven't had sex."

David's eybrow crawls up but then he smiles. "I did notice that, yeah."

Hal blushes and stammers but David rubs calming circles on the back of Hal's hand, waiting.

"And I mean ... everything else went so fast. Like, I knew you for only a few hours and then we were suddenly dating!"

David hums. "Did I ever tell you how glad I was that you came into the shop that day? I'd been wrecking my brain for weeks for a pretense to walk into "Ink Well" and talk to you short of actually getting a tattoo."

"W-what?"

"Weeks, Hal."

"Really?"

David nods.

"So when you asked me if I was an art student that day-"

"I already knew you worked next door." He shrugs. "You could still have been an art student, for all I knew."

"Huh."

Hal is stunned, trying to wrap his head around the fact that apparently, David was _pining_ for him before he ever knew David existed, a fact which seems to defy several important laws of the universe. 

Well, he'd always been prone to obliviousness.

"That ... never happens."

"To your knowledge." David leans forward and kisses him and it would be so easy to lose track of the original point of their discussion and to get lost in this but then they'd only end up here again anyway.

David furrows his brow when Hal breaks off.

"Back to our lack of sex then, huh?"

Hal nods unhappily - blushing once again - and scoots a bit away from David so he can properly look at him. Or maybe so he can't read his face too clearly.

"Remember that family drama I ran away from when I was nineteen?"

It's unsettling to feel David's intense concentration directed fully at himself, and no smile to soften it.

"My father died." David opens his mouth and so Hal hurries on, because he doesn't want to hear the condolences. "And it was my fault." David's mouth closes again, brow furrowed even more.

Hal can't bear to look at him any longer, fidgets on his seat while he continues to speak, fingers fluttering from one thing to the next, straightening his glasses, plucking fluff of his socks, running over the frayed edge of his jeans.

"He killed himself. Drowned in our swimming pool. He was paralysed from the hip down and drove his wheelchair off the pool edge. He nearly took my step-sister with him, too."

Since he isn't looking at David anymore, Hal can only sense the other's confusion, probably trying to figure out what this has to do with their sex life - or lack thereof. But David keeps silent, waiting for Hal to continue.

Hal takes a deep breath. He has told this part before. The suicide, the near-death of Emma. He's never told anyone why his father killed himself that day.

"He found out that ..." He breaks off, starts again: "Julie, my step-mother, and I had an affair and Dad found out. He couldn't bear it and killed himself and it's my fault."

Hal's voice has been soft and hesitant but those last words are spoken with conviction. Almost defiance.

David takes his hand again, stopping the twitching fingers. He stays silent for a moment but when he speaks, he sounds utterly sincere.

"I'm sorry you had to live through that, Hal."

At least he's not turning from him in disgust. At least he's not saying that it wasn't Hal's fault.

His hand is warm and Hal uses it as his anchor because how can he look at David again now he's confessed that he slept with his step-mother?

He expects David to ask about the death or the affair or what happened afterwards but he doesn't.

"So now you believe you don't deserve to be happy?"

Hal looks up in time to catch the sad smile on David's face. He nods, shrugs, mumbles "I don't know" but he does know because that is exactly what he feels even if it sounds dumb once wrapped into words.

"How old where you when the affair started?"

Right. The age and consent argument. 

"Almost eighteen. I was of age for the majority of it."

_You can't absolve me like that._

He knows he'd been a minor when Julie first seduced him but aftewards, he'd known and consented and had been excited and weirdly proud because she was a beautiful woman and because he'd already grown to despise his father.

"Did you ever had sex before?"

"No."

"Huh. So judging from how awkward you can still be now - which is cute, don't get me wrong - but it doesn't always make for a clear head when making decisions. Which I guess she knew?"

Hal shrugs.

"What difference does it make. I knew it was wrong. I knew it would hurt him if he found out."

"But you didn't know he would kill himself."

"No."

"Hal, do you think _I_ deserve to be happy?"

"What? Of course!" 

David smiles at the promptness and vehemence of Hal's answer but there's sadness mixed in there, too.

"Even though you know I've been a soldier? That I killed people? And not by accident but with intent?"

Hal squirms a little. They haven't really talked about David's past in the military. Occasionally about his time in Alaska, briefly about his childhood as an orphan, handed from foster family to foster family but not about what he did while he served. But looking at David now, with that guarded look on his face, there's only one possible answer.

"Yes, I do believe you deserve to be happy. You're not that person anymore. And you did it to protect people."

David scoffs.

Rex lifts first his head and then his body and jumps onto the couch between them, settles down and lays his head in David's lap. They both have to make some space for the dog but they're also both glad that they've got something to occupy their hands with, stroking the soft fur, that here's someone who will love them unconditionally, whatever they did, and won't judge them.

"Hal, I don't know what you've thought I did or what noble image you had of me in your head but I didn't protect innocent villagers from drug lords or rescued people. I was no hero. I was part of an elite group, secret Spec Ops, and we were called when somebody needed to be killed. And I was good at that, Hal. I was the best they had. So if you don't deserve to be happy, where does that leave me?"

Hal is glad for the fur under his fingers while he tries to align this new information with the image of David he's had. When he looks up from the once more sleeping dog, all he sees is the same David as before. Gentle, caring, burdened by his past but moving on, the one who lets Hal ramble on for hours about stuff he's probably not even interested in, the one who didn't blink an eye when Hal freaked out and hid in his bathroom, the one who inspires him and makes him happy. The one he loves.

This time it is he who reaches for David's hand.

"With me, I hope."

David presses his fingers, takes a deep breath. He doesn't look at Hal but there's a relieved smile on his lips. He's silent, doesn't thank Hal but Hal knows he's grateful nevertheless. Being accepted exactly as you are, past mistakes and all, can make you rather speechless.

After a moment, David has composed himself enough to look at Hal again, breathes and makes an effort to shake himself out of whatever feelings are raging in his heart. Smiles.

Hal smiles back and this would probably be a good moment to kiss again only there's a large dog between them.

David clears his throat.

"Thank you for telling me, Hal. About your father and all that. So ... ah ... I guess you didn't have any sex afterwards and that's why-"

"What? No! I mean, no, I did. Have sex. Afterwards. I do enjoy sex as much as the next guy. But ... all my relationships, if you can even call them that, have ...uh ... have been about sex, actually, and didn't last long. And most of the time I stumbled into them without knowing why. Heh. 'Rebellious phase' and all that. But I always wanted more than that. And I was afraid that ... I don't want to lose you, Dave."

"Rex, floor. I have to kiss this nerd." David shoves the unhappy husky from the couch and Hal laughs, readily submitting to be drawn nearer and clings to David as they kiss for an eternity or several.

"I don't want to lose you either, Hal. So that's settled."

Hal just nods and kisses him again and is glad that David holds him because otherwise he might just float off the sofa. And he doesn't want to be anywhere but here. With this person. (And this dog).


	4. Epilogue: Skin on Skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this work was done, you thought this work was done, Hal and Dave however decided they'd rather like to have that sex now. I _wanted_ to post this epilogue on Valentine's Day because anniversary and all that but honestly, who cares, so have it now. I hope you guys like it. There's gonna be fluff and awkward but also (hopefully) hot smut. Have fun.
> 
> Many thanks to [niborniac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niborniac) for motivating me to finish writing this and to [Kawaiibooker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kawaiibooker) for providing sexy times writing tunes and cheering from the sidelines!! 💖

“Would it be okay to have sex now?”

Maybe the question would have shocked Hal more if Dave’s voice wasn’t raspy and they weren’t both panting from a kiss that had turned rather heated. Also, Hal has somehow ended up straddling Dave and none of their bodies leave much doubt that they are both pretty aroused.

Hal hadn’t expected that clearing the air of why they haven’t had sex so far would result in them having sex _right away_ , had rather expected awkwardness and maybe Dave needing some time to digest Hal’s messed up past but he isn’t about to protest.

“Fuck yes.”

“ _Literally_.” Dave grins and Hal rolls his eyes but he’s grinning, too. He goes in for another kiss before trying to get off Dave’s lap without stepping onto Rex, which, given that there is little room between the couch and the table and that Rex is a rather large dog, doesn’t prove easy and when Rex finally gets up – annoyed by their shenanigans – Hal bumps painfully into the table and only holding onto Dave saves a modicum of his balance. It is all rather undignified but he doesn’t care. Instead, he just drags Dave impatiently off the couch, who proves a willing victim to this manhandling.

With the dog out of the way and both of them standing up, they pull and push each other in the direction of the bedroom with heated and sometimes rather sloppy kisses in-between.

“Wait! I’m losing my sock!”

Hal stops Dave with a hand grabbing his shirt and tries to get his sock to slide back onto his left foot with the other, not very successfully.

Dave frowns. “Hal … getting undressed is kind of the point here.”

Hal bites his lip in embarrassment. “Right. Heh. Sorry.” He feels even more heat creep into his cheeks but he also doesn’t miss the way Dave stares at his lips.

“Back to the point then…”

He fully removes the offending article of clothing and hops on one leg to take the other one off as well, holding onto Dave in the process, who bears it with saintly patience.

“Your turn,” Hal grins and grabs onto Dave’s socks with his bare toes.

Dave chuckles and shakes his head and Hal would be the first to admit that they are behaving ridiculously but if Dave doesn’t mind, why should he.

Dave complies and they are now both sockless and soon to be clothes-less and that is a bit daunting but also exhilarating.

“I really look forward to having sex with you.”

Dave’s voice is hardly more than a hoarse whisper by his ear but Hal can hear the smile in it, too, and he grins like the idiot he is because _this is happening_!

“You sure? I’m not exactly model material here …”

“Good thing I like ’em skinny, then.”

Dave is nibbling on his ear and it drives a currently very significant part of Hal crazy.

“Good thing I’m terribly superficial and like my men tall, handsome, and muscly,” he replies and pushes up Dave’s shirt, very much appreciating his abs and Dave’s gasp as Hal runs his hands over heated skin.

“That works out nicely for us then, huh?”

“Seems so.”

Hal shoves the shirt up further, trying to disentangle his boyfriend from it. He succeeds, with some assistance, and sucks in his breath. Dave has no right to be so hot or being interested in him but fuck it (and him), he’ll make the most of it.

“You done staring at my chest?”

“Never.”

Still, Hal looks up, a bit more than flushed and licks his lips demonstratively. Dave all but lunges at him, claiming his mouth with a kiss and his pants with demanding hands that make swift work of his belt and zipper.

“Hey, I still need those,” Hal cries out as his pants are roughly shoved down his legs.

“Not right now, you don’t.”

“But maybe tomorrow,” he protests in-between kisses, “I gotta get to work somehow and,” he closes his eyes for a moment and inhales to clear his head, “I mean, our dress code isn’t particularly strict, but pants _are_ mandatory.”

“Who says I’m gonna let you leave again?”

“Your sanity?”

“Overrated.”

Dave frees him of his shirt, while Hal struggles with Dave’s jeans that have become a bit tight in certain areas. Dave hisses when Hal strokes his still clothed cock, already pleasantly hard.

“Okay, socks, shirts, pants … almost good to go.”

Dave cups him through his boxers, teasing him and Hal shudders all over.

“Nerd.”

“Wha-? ... “ Right. His Neon Evangelion boxers … he’s completely forgotten about them. Dave wears pragmatic black briefs that currently seem way too small.

“I like them,” Dave whispers by his ear, rubbing his stubbled chin over Hal’s cheek, “but I think I’d like them better on my floor.”

Hal produces a hiccupy sort of laugh. “You have the worst lines. I mean … really?”

“Hmm … your cock says it likes them.”

“My cock says you’re just blessed with a very erotic voice that makes everything sound sexy. You could read out Terms and Conditions and my cock would probably be interested.”

“Erotic, huh? Tell me, Hal, what would you like me to say then? Which dirty talk get’s you going?”

“Uh…” Hal’s brain short-circuits.

“I want you, Hal.”

Dave slowly pushes down the Evangelion boxers.

“I want to fuck you and make you moan and scream ‘till the neighbours complain.”

Dave’s hands start squeezing Hal’s ass.

“I’d … uh … advise you to go a _bit_ ,“ he swallows, “… a bit slower, ... or we’ll never get to the bedroom …”

Dave drowns out Hal’s protest with another kiss, pressing his body against him and god, it has become pretty hot, hasn’t it?

Okay, fuck going slow then.

Hal pushes down Dave’s briefs, taking his time working them over his ass because that is one damn spectacular ass and he intends to imprint every second he holds it in his hands on his memory.

“Underwear accounted for … on your floor,” Hal whispers with a grin and nips at Dave’s neck, pressing flush against him.

“Good place.” Dave sounds a bit out of breath and Hal discovers that he rather likes that.

With his hands firmly planted on Hal’s ass, Dave steers them both into his bedroom, kissing and licking Hal’s skin and mussing up his hair.

“Are you prepared? I mean … uh … have you got … “

“Lube and condoms? Yeah. Call me an optimist but I’ve had them since our second date.”

“I’d call you horny but if you prefer optimist … fine by me.”

Dave chuckles and lets go of Hal, walking the few paces towards his bedside table. Hal’s skin suddenly feels cold and there are goosebumps and he is probably very splotchy but he can’t help but grip and stroke his own cock, watching Dave move. Damn, but that man is beautiful!

“So how,” Dave begins as he turns back to Hal, then swallows and clears his throat at the sight of him, before managing to continue, “how you wanna do this? You, me, top, bottom?”

Hal lets go of his cock. “I didn’t realise there were options like that? I kinda assumed … “ He waves his hand vaguely.

“Yeah, no, I’m good either way.”

“Huh.”

There is a weird pause in which their heated and playful interactions suddenly turns real and Hal likes it, looks very much forward to it, but is also a bit lost.

Dave comes back to stand before him, close, lube and condoms in one hand, the other running over Hal’s jaw and throat in fluttering caresses.

“What do you want, Hal?”

“You.”

Dave smiles at the _obviously-no-brain-involved_ answer. “Yeah, but how?”

Hal runs his hands up Dave’s sides, trying to sort all this non-specific _want_ in him into categories.

“I want to fuck you,” he finally confides into Dave’s stubble, quiet but sure.

“Okay.”

Dave kisses him again and presses the bottle of lube and the condom into Hal’s hand. Hal is still trying to process when Dave lets go of him and walks to the door which he closes, with a murmured “Sorry, Rex,” before turning back to Hal, a wide grin stretching his well-kissed lips.

“I’m all yours.”

“I have no idea which god to thank for that but my sincerest thanks to all of them!”

Dave, naked, aroused, and grinning at him truly is a sight to behold and Hal savours it for a moment longer, trying to ignore the part of his brain that is distractingly drawing tattoos all over that delicious skin. This isn’t work. This is pure, sweaty, hot fun and he can’t wait to fuck this ridiculously sexy man with the goofy smile for all any one of them is worth.

Hal grabs Dave’s hand and tugs him nearer, kissing him long and deep and swallowing his moans as his other hand ghosts over Dave’s cock.

“You really sure you’re okay with me topping?”

“Fuck me, Hal,” Dave growls and it sends shivers down every nerve of Hal’s heated body.

“Okay, okay, just checking…”

He gently pushes Dave towards the bed and watches him get comfortable on his stomach and spreading his legs wide.

Hal’s mouth is suddenly very dry.

“I … uh … haven’t done this to another guy in … a while. You’ll tell me if you want me to stop or slow down or anything, right?”

Dave glances over his shoulder with a fond smirk.

“I will. Now will you get a move on, _please_?!”

Hal nods and settles down on the bed, pops open the bottle of lube and smears his fingers with the slick liquid. It is pretty cold since Dave never seems to heat his bedroom - probably because he produces so much body heat on his own.

Hal gives Dave a last warning and begins circling Dave’s hole, tentatively pushing in and rubbing the muscle to loosen it up.

Dave hums, his breath hitching as Hal pushes his whole finger in, spreading more lube. Fuck he is tight and Hal tries very hard not to think about squeezing his cock in there in a bit, biting down on his lip instead, and concentrates on pleasing Dave, who is breathing deeply, still humming faintly on the exhales.

Hal can’t get enough of it.

And then he finds it, the spot that makes Dave tense up and arch his back and Hal smiles, curling his finger against it a second time.

Dave curses, hands buried in his blanket. The shifting of Dave’s back muscles is mesmerizing and Hal would have been happy to just watch him for the rest of his life but he also really wants to get to the fucking part, so he introduces a second finger to Dave’s asshole, keeping an eye on whether Dave betrays any signs of discomfort or pain.

But Dave pushes himself eagerly down onto his fingers, breathing heavily.

“Fuck, Hal, just ...just fuck me already,” he pants and Hal can only croak his agreement.

He retrieves his fingers, to Dave’s displeased sigh, and fumbles with the condom wrapper until he finally manages to rip it open.

“Hurry up, Hal,” Dave complains, looking over his shoulder at what’s taking Hal so long.

“I got it, sorry, I got it.”

Hal rolls the condom over his cock and slickes it up with some more lube.

“You ready?”

“I’ve been ready for like the last two months, Hal!”

In lieu of an answer, Hal aligns his cock with Dave’s hole and pushes in, slowly. Effectively shutting Dave up.

“Fuck,” Hal breathes because he’s getting a little overwhelmed, all that heat and flesh engulfing him and it really has been too long since he’s done this!

He rests his forehead against Dave’s back for a moment, breathing and getting used to the heat.

“You okay?” he murmurs against slick skin.

“Fuck yes. You?”

“Yeah .. I ...yeah. Yeah I am.” Hal laughs a little and straightens up again, thrusting into Dave once more, still slow, getting a good grip on his hips.

He falls into a rhythm and abstractly marvels at the way Dave moves, muscles moving under skin, the bit of his face he can see painted with pleasure so clearly and openly and Hal is ready to come right there and then but he holds himself back.

He isn’t sure there’s any oxygen left in the room; his head is spinning. He isn’t sure there’s any outside world left. There’s only heat, and Dave, and the sound of flesh on flesh, and breathing and …

“Talk to me, Dave …”

Dave moans and squeezes his eyes shut, struggling for enough concentration to talk.

“Fuck, Hal, your cock feels so good.”

The words tighten around Hal like a rope and his fingers dig deeper into flesh.

“You feel so good inside me, Hal … don’t stop …. just … don’t stop …“

When Hal hits his sweet spot again and again, Dave’s words turn into a strangled, muffled scream; and all coherence is lost.

Hal feels himself slipping too, rhythm stuttering

“I think …,” he pants “would this be … a good point to ...come?” He almost snarls the last word, holding on through sheer stubbornness. “You okay with that?”

Dave doesn’t answer, the muscles of his ass squeezing Hal’s cock and there’s that shudder and Hal can see him biting his lip, fists clenched as he comes and then he comes too, fucking Dave through the shockwaves.

Hal jellyfies soon after, slipping out of Dave’s ass and collapsing next to him on the bed. He wanted to face him but somehow ends up on the wrong side of him and just drapes a heavy arm over Dave’s side.

Breathing feels damn good. Dave’s warm, sweaty, fucked body next to him feels damn good. _Everything_ feels damn good!

Dave groans and turns laboriously so he can see Hal, looking exhausted but there’s a smile on his lips.

“I liked that.” His voice is raspy and fucking sexy and if Hal wasn’t so spent, he’d jump him all over again.

“I did too.”

Dave bumps Hal’s nose with his own.

“Was worth waiting for this.”

Hal grins.

“Though I _am_ glad I didn’t have to wait any longer.”

“Sorry … “

Dave pushes a sweaty strand of hair back from Hal’s forehead.

“Don’t be.”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

“We should probably clean up this mess, huh?”

“Probably should.”

But neither moves.

“At least the condom …”

“Yeah …”

Still, none of them stirs. They keep looking at each other, lost in thoughts and smiles.

“Fuck, okay, now it’s getting sticky.” Hal groans and turns onto his back, fights his inertia for another moment before pushing himself to sit up, Dave groggily following suit.

“There’s a dustbin over there.”

Hal nods, and disposes of the condom, groaning all the way.

“Bathroom?” Dave suggests and Hal nods again.

“Do you think Rex will mind us walking around naked?”

“I bet he’s sleeping anyway.”

“We uh … got pretty loud.”

“Still not a tank, right?”

Hal huffs a laugh and follows Dave in the direction of his tiny bathroom.

“Just so you know,” he says as they’re almost to the door, “much as I enjoyed this, I still expect _you_ to thoroughly fuck _me_ next time.”

“Guess I can do that.”

“Good.”

Hal grins and so does Dave. And Rex is indeed deeply asleep on the couch as they leave the bedroom.

Time has tied itself into a knot, with the near and far future equally safe and sure and happy.

He’s sweaty and tired and kinda gross but so is Dave and neither cares.

 _This is gonna work out_ , Hal thinks and looks at the dog and then his boyfriend and tangles his fingers with Dave.

And he doesn’t want to be anywhere else but in this apartment-sized slice of paradise.

With this man. (And this dog).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, but NOW it's finished! XD 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this addition as much as Dave and Hal. It's probably the longest smut I've written so far and with a singsong of "ohmygodwhatamIdoingherethisisweird" in my head. You're welcome ;D 
> 
> Please tell me what you thought of it (but please be kind) because comments are my life-blood and motivation and I will love you forever for the price of a few words!


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